Council to spend £2.5m on roads

ROADS in the Express area are to benefit from a share of £2.5m that is being spent on Wakefield Council’s highway repair programme.

Wakefield Road, in Kinsley and Fitzwilliam, and the B6422 Hague Lane and Hemsworth Road, South Kirkby, have already a surface dressing, which increases the life of the road’s surface by sealing it and restoring skid resistance.

The council will also carry out surface dressing works on Church Lane, Ryhill, and Hemsworth Lane and Offley Lane, Fitzwilliam, and thin surfacing works - similar to surface dressing - on Rose Avenue, Upton, Cemetery Road, Ryhill, Highfield Lane, Hemsworth, Hutton Drive, Carroll Court and East Avenue, South Elmsall, and Stockingate and Common Road, South Kirkby.

Moorfield Crescent, Hemsworth, and Church Avenue, South Kirkby, will have retread work to replace the existing surface of the road.

The £2.5m is being invested in more than 60 miles of roads and footpaths across the district in 2011-12.

The council also spent £1.7m earlier this year to deal with the district’s most urgent repairs after two extreme winters caused a backlog in pothole repairs.

Any roads not in this year’s programme of works will be monitored to ensure any safety defects are fixed as soon as possible.

Coun Denise Jeffery, cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said: “This year’s programme has been particularly difficult to prioritise because, despite our best efforts, we are still dealing with the legacy of the two worst winters on record, as well as managing the constant wear and tear suffered by all roads and footpaths.

“We have to focus our work on safety and prolonging the life of the roads as much as possible. To do this within budget means we have to prioritise what we do and ensure the method we use gives the best value for money.

“We know that some people may be disappointed if the programme does not include a road that they believe needs attention. But we have to look at the district-wide picture, which includes over 6,000 roads.

“Our engineers thoroughly assess and evaluate all highway issues so we can focus our work and limited budget on the roads which are in most need.”